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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. row — to paddle
  3. press — newspapers
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ground — a position
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ground — the earth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. row — a line
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — crushed
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com